Yoshimi Kato R2/SG2 黑色大馬士革 240 毫米 Gyuto 帶拋光紫色大理石壓克力手柄

This knife combines art, beauty, quality and practicality in one enticing package. It is eye-catching and a conversation starter. The damascus steel pattern is very well-defined, fine and intricate - one of the more beautiful and clean patterns I've seen. The dark finish and silver grey pattern contrasts nicely with the purple swirls of the handle. The quality of the workmanship is high - no sharp corners, tight edges, nice taper, smooth choil. The fit and finish is excellent. The knife is well-balanced (especially so for those that use a pinch grip) and fairly light weight. The knife was sharp out-of-the-box (8 out of 10) - a few passes over a tungsten steel honing rod and a leather strop made it very sharp. The damascus finish of the knife is not as "sticky" when cutting certain types of food as other damascus knives can be, which was a pleasant surprise. The knife feels very controllable and maneuverable in the hand and cuts well. A concern is when sharpening, one needs to be extra careful not to scratch or mark the finish, although this will inevitably happen if one uses it. This knife is a masterpiece and will not be just put away for show, but will be gently used with respect, and treasured and handed down. Expensive purchase but no regrets. I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to be able to get it. Thank you, Yoshimi Kato!